Blood Under the Moon
by Fading Hero
Summary: Everyone knows about the terrible accident that claimed the lives of Ryoma Hitachiin and his son, Kaoru. The students at Ouran Academy are surprised afterward to find that the other son, Hikaru, comes to their school. Haruhi Fujioka is determined to befriend this strange boy, but he won't let her butt into his life and keeps everyone at a distance. MILD LANGUAGE
1. The New Kid

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran!

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Chapter One  
The New Kid

"Hey, check it out," Haruhi nudged her friend. "There's a new kid."

"What?" the dark-haired boy asked, looking up from his homework.

"Look over there," she nodded toward the redhead with a hood pulled down over his face that sat down next to the window, his hands in his pockets. "He looks really sad."

"Haruhi, don't worry about it," Kyoya shook his head. "He's probably one of those kids that wants to be left alone."

"But…" Haruhi bit her lip. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Welcome to Ouran!" a blond boy swept up to the emo redhead grandly. "I hope you have been treated well, sir."

"Go away," the boy said, pulling his hood lower.

"Come, now," Tamaki smiled at him. "We'll have none of that." He tried to pull the hood back, but the redhead smacked his hand away and shoved the blond into one of the desks.

"Leave me alone, dammit!" he growled, sinking even lower into his chair.

"That idiot," Kyoya shook his head at Tamaki's actions. "He never does know when to stop bothering people."

The bell rang, signaling the beginning of class and everyone quieted down as the teacher took her place at the front of the room. "Good morning, class," she smiled sunnily. "I hope all of your weekends were fantastic. Before we start, however, we have a new student." She gestured to the boy next to the window. "I'd like all of you to extend a hand of fellowship to Hikaru Hitachiin. He just transferred here from…Where did you come from, Hikaru?"

"Kyoto," the boy replied, sounding very bored.

Haruhi turned to Kyoya. She whispered, "Hitachiin…Why does that name sound familiar to me?"

"We are introducing a new student, class. Please stay quiet so we can learn as much as we can about Mr. Hitachiin. Is there anything you would like to share with us, Hikaru? Something interesting?"

"Nope. I'm a pretty boring person," the boy shrugged.

"Are you sure? Anything fun happen in your life lately?"

"No." He slouched down even deeper into the seat.

"Well, pressing forward onto the lesson," the teacher nodded.

She began talking about psychology and how the brain interprets events and peoples' actions. Haruhi couldn't focus on the notes she was trying to take. Her eyes kept wandering over to the new boy. He didn't look like he even wanted to put in any effort. He stared out the window with his hood covering his eyes and his chin on his hand.

"Miss Fujioka?" the teacher asked, jolting Haruhi out of her trance.

"Yes!" the girl replied, already turning a little red because she _never_ zoned out during class. She was a straight-A student and always paid attention.

"Is there something you'd like to share with the class?"

"No, ma'am," Haruhi responded, looking down at her notes.

The teacher continued the lesson and Haruhi really tried to pay attention, but… there was something strange about Hikaru. She didn't know what it was, but it intrigued her and she was determined to figure out what it was.

…

During lunch, Haruhi sat down in between Kyoya and Tamaki with the lunch she'd brought from home. "Did you guys notice anything weird about Hikaru?" she asked her friends.

"Haruhi, you read too much into things," Kyoya told her, shaking his head. "He just wants to be left alone and you shouldn't worry about it. At least not for another few weeks."

"But…Look at him! He's all alone over there," she pointed to Hikaru who was picking at the food on his tray. "And he's not eating anything!" She stopped. "Wait. What do you mean, 'at least not for another few weeks'?"

Kyoya opened his mouth to answer but then Tamaki gasped loudly. "We must provide him the means to nourish his body amidst friends!" The blond got up and made his way over to Hikaru. Haruhi dragged herself over with her friend, groaning, partly to get to know the new boy, partly to keep Tamaki out of trouble.

"Hey, there!" Tamaki grinned happily. "Mind if I sit here with you?"

"Hell yes, I do," Hikaru said venomously. "How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone? Are you an idiot and nothing can get through your thick skull?"

"He most certainly is," Haruhi joined the conversation. "Hi. I'm Haruhi Fujioka. That's Tamaki Suoh. He really is kind of a moron, so don't mind him." She ignored Tamaki as he went to go sulk in a corner, probably from being called a moron by one of his best friends. She sat down next to the hoodie-clad boy and started a small talk conversation. "So, do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Yeah," Hikaru nodded. "I have a little brother and sister."

"How old are they?"

"My sister's four." A ghost of a smile crossed the boy's lips for a split second before his mouth downturned again. "And my brother, he's…" the boy took a shuddering breath. "He's dead."

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry!" Haruhi gasped.

"Why? It's not like you killed him," Hikaru shrugged. "I don't see why everyone has to make such a big deal out of it." He stabbed a piece of broccoli with his fork and looked at it suspiciously.

"What?" Haruhi wondered at Hikaru's behavior toward the broccoli. "It's not like it's poisoned or something. I mean, yes, cafeteria food is questionable, but they won't ever try to kill us with it."

Hikaru looked at her with a strange look on his face. He looked like he was about to say something when he grabbed his right arm, cringing.

"Are you okay?" Haruhi asked, concernedly lightly touching his shoulder.

He flinched away from her, growling, "Don't touch me. And I'll be fine. It was just a random spasm of pain." He looked up at her and she saw his eyes for the first time. They were a beautiful shade of gold mixed with a tiny bit of green.

"Um… Ok. Good. So, uh, what about your parents? What do they do?"

Hikaru looked down.

"Oh, no. They're dead, aren't they?" she asked fearfully.

He looked at her with a pained expression in his eyes. "Look, Fujioka, I don't like talking about this, so can you seriously just leave me alone?" He was practically begging her.

Haruhi looked down at her food. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll, um…I'll go eat with my friends now. But it was nice to meet you, Hikaru. I hope you'll do well here at Ouran."

Hikaru grunted, which Haruhi took as a 'thank you.' She walked back to where Tamaki was sulking and Kyoya was eating his lunch like a normal person.

"Come on, Tamaki. Really?" the girl stopped next to him.

"He didn't speak to me…" the blond whimpered. "But you had a whole conversation with him…"

"Yes I did, Tamaki. Get over it," she rolled her eyes as she sat down next to Kyoya. "So, Kyoya, what do you know about him and why does his last name sound so familiar?"

"His father, Ryoma Hitachiin, was the CEO and owner of Hitachiin Software."

Haruhi put a hand over her mouth. "Oh, no! The one that died in that terrible car accident a few weeks ago?"

"That's the one," Kyoya nodded. "His parents divorced about a month before then and he and his brother were separated. He lived with his mother while his brother lived with his father. The court decided that each of the parents would get one of the twins and their little girl would switch every other week," Kyoya told her. "After the accident, his mother, Yuzuha, who had wanted the marriage to work out, was so devastated at losing her husband and one of her sons that she killed herself the day after."

"Poor guy. I can't believe I didn't realize that when I first heard his name. Both of his parents and his…Wait. Did you say his brother was his twin?!"

"Yes. His name was Kaoru."

"Then why did he say he had a younger brother?"

"Hikaru is the older twin by a few minutes."

"How do you know all this stuff?" Tamaki wondered, a little wary of what the answer would be.

"I make it my business to know about all of the new students at this school," the dark-haired boy replied coolly.

"Kyoya, does he have some kind of illness or something that would make him grab his arm in pain?" Haruhi wondered absentmindedly.

"Not that I know of," Kyoya shook his head. "He could've just gotten an injury on his arm."

"Oh. Duh," Haruhi slapped her forehead. "That's probably it. I should quit worrying about him. After all, I barely know him!" she smiled nervously but something still gnawed at the back of her mind and warned her to stay away from this strange new kid.

…

Haruhi got home to an empty house, which was not very surprising. Her father always worked late. _'Hi, Mom,'_ she thought, grinning at the shrine that was always present in the living room. As she walked to her room, she told her mom about the day. _'I met a new boy at school today. His name is Hikaru Hitachiin and he's been through some tough stuff these past few weeks. And I can't get him out of my mind. I just can't help thinking about how bad he has it! And how sorry I feel for him. He lost his twin brother and his father in a car accident and then his mom committed suicide right after! And I guess he must be going to a foster home or something now. It makes me really glad that I have Dad and Kyoya and Tamaki as a support group. They're so great.'_

She heard the front door close loudly and a voice call, "Helloooo, Haruhi!"

"Hi, Dad!" she yelled back. "How was work?"

"It was wonderful! How was your day at school, little girl?" the redheaded man wondered, dancing into his daughter's room.

"Well, it was fine," she shrugged as her father tossed his long hair over a shoulder. "A new kid started today."

"Oh, yeah? Is he cute?" her dad wondered, suddenly beside her.

"Come on, Dad," Haruhi rolled her eyes. "I guess he could be a little attractive if he didn't hide his face with his hoodie and act so anti-social."

"Ah. A calm, collected type, eh?" Ranka asked, looking into the distance.

Haruhi sighed. She could tell her dad would probably be like that for a while. "I'm gonna go make some dinner," she told him and went to the kitchen.

After the small family ate their dinner, Haruhi went up to her room and changed into her pajamas. She tried to read the chapter in the book for history, but she just couldn't focus. She set the book on the stand next to her bed and turned off the lamp. The girl turned onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. It was surprisingly light for nighttime. She looked out the window and saw the cause: the full moon.

She turned back to the ceiling and just stared. She couldn't wrap her head around the new kid. She was so fascinated with him, but she had no idea why. Kyoya had told her everything he knew about Hikaru, but she wasn't satisfied. She felt like there was something he either wasn't telling her or actually didn't know about the new kid. Although, Kyoya would never admit it.

Haruhi fell asleep, still confused by the mystery that was Hikaru Hitachiin.

…

"I know," Hikaru said, rolling his eyes and glad that he was talking on the phone instead of face-to-face. He paused. "I _know. _I'm not stupid, contrary to common belief." He paused again, listening to the voice on the other end of the line. "Look, I'm working on it, okay? I'm just trying to fit in, which is hard enough as it is. You of all people should know that…Yes! I am aware!" he hissed. "I'm doing the best I can! What more do you want from me?!" with that, he slammed his phone shut, his golden eyes blazing with anger and impatience.

"Dammit…" he muttered to himself. "What the hell do they expect me to do?!" He looked up and saw the full moon, immediately calming down. "Hello, old friend," he smiled faintly. "I've missed you."

He walked away to his accommodations for the time being, at the home of an older couple that wanted to host troubled souls like him that lost their parents. He sighed heavily. "Kaoru…Mom…Dad…"

Within no time, the red haired boy approached the porch. He swiped at his watery eyes before the door opened, revealing Arisa, his foster mother. "Oh, Hikaru!" she cried, embracing him. "We were so worried that you'd gotten lost!"

"Sorry to scare you," Hikaru said sincerely. "I actually did get a little lost for a while," he admitted sheepishly. "And my phone battery got low so I couldn't use the GPS on it."

"That's fine, dear. Just let us know where you are next time so we don't have to wonder. Come in and get warmed up. It's freezing out here!" Arisa pulled him into the house and to the dining room. "Your dinner got cold, but it still should be good."

"Thanks, Arisa, but I grabbed some snacks at the convenience store not too long ago," Hikaru waved the food off. "I'm really tired, so I think I'll just go to bed."

"Big brother?" a small, sleepy voice asked.

Hikaru turned around and saw his little sister at the bottom of the stairs in her pajamas, her blanket trailing after her. Her red hair was pulled back into two messy pony tails and she was rubbing her droopy eyes with a tiny hand.

"Ageha, you should be in bed," Hikaru told her, kneeling down to her height. He brushed a bit of hair behind her ear. "It's too late for you to be up."

"Hika, would you read me a story so I can go back to sleep?" she asked, yawning.

"Oh, who can resist that cute little face?" Hikaru smiled, scooping her up into his arms. He carried her up to her room and she snuggled against his chest, taking a fistful of his shirt. Within three seconds, she was fast asleep against the comfort of her brother.

Hikaru chuckled lightly. Little kids were his weakness. Especially when she was his little sister. He walked into her room and sat down on her bed. He cradled her for a few more minutes, waiting for her to release her tight hold on his shirt. However, she knew better than to let go, even in her sleep.

"You're too young and innocent to have lost both your parents and an older sibling," he whispered as he brushed his lips against her forehead. "You have so much ahead of you. And that's why I'll protect you. I promise I'll protect you to the best of my ability. I'll do whatever the hell I can." He laid down, his legs dangling off the edge of her bed. He let the little girl lay on top of him, curled into his chest. He stroked her bright red locks and hummed the melody of the song their mother used to sing every night before she put them to bed.

He thought about his mother, father, and especially his twin as he mindlessly ran his fingers through his sister's soft hair. A tear leaked out of his eye, and he whispered, "Kaoru…"

"Big brother?" Ageha asked quietly.

"Yeah?" Hikaru quickly wiped the tear away. "What's up, sweetie?"

"When will we get to see Mommy and Daddy and Kao again?"

"Who knows, Ageha?" the oldest replied. "Maybe tomorrow, maybe in eighty years."

"But…why?" the little girl wondered.

"Because the whole damn world is cruel and is trying to make us as miserable as possible," he growled, his eyes starting to sting with tears of anger.

"Hika…?" Ageha tugged at his shirt.

"Yes, Ageha?" he replied, immediately quenching the fire.

"Don't act like that anymore, 'kay?" she told him softly, rubbing her cheek against his chest. "It's scary."

"I know, sweetie," Hikaru nodded as she slipped off to sleep. "I know."

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A/N: Let me know what you thought about this. Hikaru too mean? There's a reason! Favorite scenes? Favorite lines? REVIEW!


	2. Hikaru Hitachiin

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran!

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Chapter Two  
Hikaru Hitachiin

_Running, panting, tears streaming down his face. Ageha in his arms, screaming in terror as he sprinted as fast as he could._

_ "Don't worry, little sister, it'll be ok," he muttered, trying to comfort her through his gasps for air._

_ His lungs begged him to stop for air, but he knew he couldn't. They were right behind him, wanting to kill him. He had to protect his little sister, no matter what the cost. He'd already lost his parents and brother, he was NOT going to lose his baby sister! He could feel them closing in and…_

…

"Wake up, Hika!" the young man was rudely awakened by his little sister screaming in his ear.

"What?!" Hikaru jolted and flew off the bed, glad he had just been dreaming. He was drenched in cold sweat but composed himself before speaking again. "Is the house on fire?" He looked around and just saw the little girl standing there innocently with her hands behind her back.

"No, it was just time to wake up!" she said, grinning widely with her eyes closed.

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "You're good," he smiled at her.

"Thank you!" she said, not noticing an all-too-familiar mischievous look come into her brother's eyes.

"But you're gonna have to do better than that, little sister!" Hikaru laughed, lunging at the girl.

She squealed in delight and took off down the hallway, her brother chasing after her. This was completely normal for the Hitachiins and it made Hikaru forget all his problems and his nightmare.

As Hikaru ran after Ageha, he turned a corner a little too soon and his right arm slammed into a wall. Almost in slow motion, he collapsed to the floor, cursing at the top of his lungs as he did so. He held his arm as Arisa, Fumio and Ageha came running.

"Hikaru, what happened?!" Fumio, his foster father, demanded.

Hikaru got up, smiling like it didn't hurt at all, when his arm was throbbing in agony. "Nothing," he shook his head. "I'm fine. Really. It was just a dumb mistake on my part."

"You don't just scream profanities when something doesn't hurt, Hikaru. Especially when there's a four-year-old in the house," Arisa folded her arms. "Let me see it." She reached out to grab his arm but he jerked away.

"Don't worry about it, Arisa. Really, it was just stupid and it's nothing to freak out about."

"Are you sure, Hikaru?" she asked, concern all over her face and in her eyes.

"Yes. Look!" He raised his arm and flapped it around. "It's fine. Now, I gotta get in the shower."

He ran to the bathroom to prevent his family from seeing the tears of pain coming into his eyes.

He took a quick shower, washing all the pain and bad memories down the drain. He refused to let that get him down. "Today is a new day," he told himself, repeating his mother's mantra.

He got dressed in the same hoodie he wore yesterday and a pair of stylishly tattered jeans, the pair that his mother had gotten him only weeks before. He looked at the mirror and put his hand next to his face. "Mom…Kaoru…" he muttered. He and his twin had taken after their mother in both looks, interests and personalities. Whenever he looked in the mirror, all he saw was his lost mother and brother.

"Hikaru?" Arisa knocked on the door. "Are you doing okay, hon?"

Hikaru realized he'd thought too much and tears had come to his eyes. "Dammit!" he cursed under his breath as he angrily wiped them away. "Yeah, Arisa!" he called to her. "I'm fine. Just…doing my hair!"

"Ok. Just be sure to hurry up or you'll miss the bus!"

Hikaru looked away from the mirror and ran his fingers through his long hair. He'd started growing it out and now it was down past his ears and sometimes covered his eyes. That's how he liked it, though. Ever since his parents had gotten divorced, he had stopped cutting it because he realized that having longer hair protected him. He didn't have to show his emotions and it prevented him from having to deal with concerned counselors.

He shrugged, said, "Eh, that's good enough," and then walked out of the bathroom.

"Sheesh, Hika, just take all morning in the bathroom," Ageha scoffed, her little hands on her hips as she looked up at her older brother.

"Hey, at least I actually take pride in my appearance, little sister," he smirked, ruffling her hair.

"Hey!" she pouted.

"See ya later!" Hikaru started to walk out the front door.

"Hikaru, you haven't even touched breakfast!" Fumio chastised his foster son. "You have to eat something!"

"Look, Fumio, I'm going to be late for the bus, and I don't want you to have to drive me to school," Hikaru said reasonably.

"It's no trouble, really," Fumio shook his head. "Breakfast is the most important part of the day, and Arisa told me you didn't even eat last night."

"That's because…" Hikaru sighed and went back in the house. No matter how hard he argued with Fumio, he knew that he'd lose. The man was a lawyer and was _extremely_ good at what he did. "Never mind."

"Good," Fumio smiled, turning back to his paper. "Arisa made your favorite, by the way."

"How sweet of her," Hikaru put on a fake smile as he sat down, when all he wanted to do was get out of the house. He knew they'd bring it up sooner or later, and he had a feeling it would be while he was trapped eating breakfast.

"Hikaru," the older man said seriously, putting down his paper.

_'Oh, hell,' _Hikaru thought. _'Here it comes…'_

"Arisa and I have been talking, and we're worried about you."

"Why would you be worried about me?" he wondered, shoving some toast in his mouth.

"Well…we've noticed you don't seem happy," Fumio sighed. "You've started to get distant –"

_'Started?'_ Hikaru scoffed in his mind.

"–and we think it's time that you should go and see a counselor."

"Look, Fumio, I don't need a shrink, okay?" Hikaru said around the toast in his mouth. "I have plenty of friends and they help me get through anything. Just because my parents…got lost doesn't mean I get depressed and start cutting myself or turning to drugs. I'm fine."

"See, that's what I mean, Hikaru!" Fumio told the young man. "You're in denial!"

"No I'm not!" Hikaru shouted, slamming his hands on the table as he stood up. "My mother might be dead, but I know that my brother and father are still alive! So don't start acting all concerned for me because I know that you and your wife are phonies just trying to win me over so you can live in comfort for the rest of your lives because I'm the heir to the Hitachiin software company! Well, you know what I say to people like you?! Go to hell!"

He grabbed his backpack and sprinted out of the house to the bus stop, where the big yellow vehicle was approaching right then. The redhead pulled his hood down over his eyes to cover them so people wouldn't see the weakness he's shown. He climbed onto the bus and went straight to the middle seat where he hoped no one would bother him.

He would've usually put in his headphones to avoid conversation, but in his haste, he'd forgotten to grab his iPod. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and whispered, "Dammit. Hikaru, why are you such a dumbass?"

He looked up as the bus stopped and groaned inwardly. The girl from the day before and her blond friend walked on. He shrunk down more in the seat, hoping she wouldn't notice him and try to talk to him. He was _really_ not in the mood, and he knew that he would just start cussing her out.

…

Haruhi sighed as Tamaki went on and on about the new tricks he was teaching his dog, Antoinette. He'd gotten her a few weeks ago, and he was totally obsessed with her.

The brunette girl looked around for someone she could sit next to without Tamaki. She spotted Hikaru and blinked. There were already two people in the seat next to him and in front and behind him. That'd work!

She quickly made her way to the middle of the bus where Hikaru was sitting and she plopped down. Tamaki immediately realized that she was trying to get away from him, so he went to go sulk in seat number two.

Haruhi breathed out in relief. "Thank goodness," she whispered.

She turned to Hikaru, who was just gazing out the window, as usual, it seemed for him. "Hey," she smiled, wondering if she'd be able to get him to talk.

He didn't reply.

"How are you today?" she asked.

"Do you _really_ want me to answer that stupid question?" he wondered grumpily.

"Well, if you're going to have an attitude like that, I guess not," she shrugged and turned to talk to Momoka Kurakano, her friend sitting across the aisle.

"Haruhi, why do you even try talking to him?" the other girl whispered. "He's so distant and doesn't seem to care about anything."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Hikaru growled.

Momoka blushed and turned to the friend she was sitting next to.

Haruhi swiveled to face Hikaru. "What the hell's wrong with you?!" she demanded. "Why are you so cold toward everyone?"

"You already know!" he nearly shouted. "Or did you already forget that my mom is dead and I only have my little sister around?! I'm sorry I'm not all sunshine and rainbows, but I don't think you'd be either if you'd gone through what I have to deal with!"

Just then, the bus stopped in front of the school. Hikaru stood up on the seat, jumped to the back of the seat in front of them and vaulted over the five rows that stood in his way. He leaped out the door as soon as it opened and sprinted into the school before the rest of the students could even react.

'_I remember being scared after Mom died, but I don't think I was that extreme…'_ Haruhi thought to herself. _'And where did he learn to jump that far without smacking his head on the roof of the bus?'_

…

Haruhi walked into her English class, hoping Hikaru wasn't in that class, but there he was. He sat next to the window, the hood pulled over his eyes and staring outside.

Haruhi swallowed nervously and tucked a piece of her long hair behind her ear. She made her way over to the red-haired boy, who everyone seemed to be avoiding. "Hikaru, can I talk to you about something?" she asked quietly, sitting in the desk next to him.

He didn't respond, just continued to stare out the window.

"Listen…Um…I'm sorry about this morning. I…I guess I was out of line and I didn't mean to stir up painful memories. But I lost my mom about ten years ago. I can tell you that the hurt never goes completely away, but it will get better."

"Yeah, whatever," Hikaru sighed. "I doubt it."

"Hikaru, you can't just shut down!" Haruhi told him forcefully. "You have to open up to people or you won't ever make any friends!"

"Who said I even wanted friends?" Hikaru asked bitterly.

"What?" Haruhi wondered. "Who doesn't want friends? We're only human, Hikaru. It's built into us to want to belong to a group of people."

Hikaru looked over at her, his hood pulling up just a little bit so she could see his red-rimmed golden eyes.

She gasped and he yanked the hood back down to cover them. "Hikaru, have you been crying?" she asked quietly, knowing how sensitive a subject showing emotions was for all guys.

"Why do you care?!" Hikaru growled, looking like he wanted to just disappear.

"Because, apparently unlike you, I care about what happens to other people!" Haruhi told him. "But if you're going to act like such a child then I won't bother with you!" she got up and walked to the opposite side of the classroom.

…

Hikaru stared after the girl that had totally just told him off. She was right, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone. He really did need to get out and meet people, now that he didn't have his brother. They'd always been together, but he had had a hard time going to school without any friends.

He stared out the window and thought, _'Hmm…Mom, what do you think about this girl?'_

…

After school, Haruhi had to deal with Tamaki going on about the tricks he was going to teach Antoinette that day.

She stopped when she saw Takeshi Kuze go past. He always spelled trouble. She tuned Tamaki out as she watched Kuze walk purposefully toward Kazukiyo Soga.

"Should we –?" Tamaki turned to Haruhi, concern in his eyes as he noticed the captain of the football team going toward the smaller boy.

"Come on, Tamaki," she shook her head, leading her friend away.

Kuze was the bully on campus, and no one dared interfere with him or his lackeys. They ruled the school and didn't let anyone up on their rung of the social ladder.

"You'd better watch where you're going, nerd," one of the other football players laughed, grabbing Kazukiyo's glasses and swinging them away. "You get in the way and you'll be in a world of hurt."

"Sorry…" Kazukiyo muttered, reaching for his glasses. He cried out in pain when Kuze stomped on his hand, hard. Tears reached the corner of his eyes but he refused to give the bully the satisfaction of humiliating him even further.

"Beg, Soga," Kuze whispered. "And I'll let you go."

"Yeah, right," the boy narrowed his eyes. He whimpered as Kuze pushed his foot harder into his flesh.

"Hey, dickweed!" a voice yelled, approaching Kuze and lackeys from behind.

Kuze facial expression turned murderous. "Who the hell –?!" He was cut off as his face met a fist. He spun in a circle and was out like a light.

"Anyone else?" Kazukiyo's savior asked, looking at the other football players, cracking his knuckles.

They looked at their fallen leader, surprised it had only taken a single punch by this guy to bring him down. Not knowing what to do, they shook their heads. Together, they hauled Kuze to his feet, put his arms around their shoulders and stumbled away, tripping over the captain's limp legs.

"Hey, are you okay?" the boy asked Kazukiyo, offering his hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Kazukiyo nodded, grabbing his glasses and then accepting the boy's offer to help him up. "Thanks a lot."

"No problem," he nodded as Kazukiyo put on his glasses. "I just can't stand asses like him."

Kazukiyo's eyes widened when he clearly saw the face of his savior. "You…You're Hikaru Hitachiin, aren't you?!"

"That's me, alright," the redhead sighed.

Kazukiyo stuttered as he looked at the new boy. "I-I never thought y-you would've…"

Hikaru shook his head. "Look. Just forget about it, ok?"

He started to walk away, waving at Kazukiyo. The boy looked after him, wondering what school would be like now that someone was standing up to Kuze. And for a total stranger!

Haruhi and Tamaki could not believe their eyes. This kid had just kicked Kuze's ass! No one had ever been brave enough to stand up to him like that.

Perhaps having Hikaru around wasn't going to be so bad after all…

* * *

A/N: Hmm…Hikaru seems to have a nice side after all! Favorite scenes? Favorite lines? REVIEW!


	3. Tension in the Air

A/N: Sorry it took so long, but work kinda kicked my butt and then a bunch of other stuff came up so I couldn't write. But here it is, so no need to fear, my readers!

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Chapter Three  
Tension in the Air

Haruhi walked to the bus stop, hoping Hikaru wouldn't be on the bus so she wouldn't be able to offend him. That seemed to be her specialty. She really was always genuinely concerned about people, and she wanted to make him feel like he wasn't alone. It must've been so hard for him to lose his twin. She'd lost her mother ten years before, but to lose a sibling, especially a sibling as close to you as a twin.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki called out enthusiastically, waving to her from where he stood at the bus stop. "Guess what?! I heard that –"

"Tamaki," Haruhi cut him off. "Look. I'm really not interested in the gossip of today, okay?" she rubbed her hands over her eyes. "I had a hard time sleeping, and I don't think I'll be able to deal with your antics today."

"Oh…okay," Tamaki said sadly, looking down at his friend. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Can you just…not interact with Hikaru? I don't think he really likes you, and I think that he might even hate you."

Tamaki looked at the ground. "How can someone not like me?" he wondered. "After all, I'm perfect and I –"

"Tamaki!" Haruhi nearly shouted at him. "That's one of the reasons a lot of people don't like you! You're so narcissistic that it really pisses people off and they don't want anything to do with you!"

The blond stared at Haruhi. "Is…Is that how you really feel, Haruhi?"

"Sometimes, like right now, yes!" she yelled as the bus came up to their stop. "Now can't you just leave me alone?!"

She climbed onto the bus and saw Hikaru sitting in the seat he had sat in the day before, with his back to the window and feet up on the seat next to him. Haruhi sighed and sat down in the back of the bus with Tamaki following her like a little lost puppy.

"Tamaki, what do you want?" she asked angrily.

"Haruhi, I just want you to be happy," Tamaki told her, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Well, you're not helping," she responded, throwing his arm off her shoulders in fury.

The rest of the drive to the school was filled with a tense silence between the two. Haruhi leaned her head against the seat in front of her and tried to figure out what she should do about the two very confusing boys in her life.

As they filed out of the bus, Haruhi walked past Hikaru. She thought about waiting for him to go in front of her but decided against it. He could just jump over the seats in front of him, so she wasn't that concerned for him.

She started to walk through the huge courtyard when she heard a voice call her name.

"Haru-chan!" a happy voice yelled. The brunette girl turned around just in time to see her friend attack her in a flying tackle hug.

"Oof!" she gasped as she embraced him back. "Hi, Hunny! How are you today?"

"I'm fantastic, Haru-chan!" he grinned up at her. "Do you wanna go to Culinary with me?! We're making cake!"

Haruhi smiled at the older boy. "Sorry, Hunny, but I have my own classes to go to. I would love to eat some of the cake that you make, though."

"B-but, Haru-chan…" Hunny said tearfully.

"Mitsukuni," the taller youth warned. "Would you want her to fail her class because she went to class with you?"

"N-no," Hunny stuttered through his tears.

"Tell you what, Hunny," Haruhi bent down to the older boy's height and offered a suggestion. "You can make the cake and then give some to me during lunch. Since it's such a nice day, I'll eat in the courtyard by the rose maze. You come find me and we'll have some cake together, ok?"

"Ok, Haru-chan!" Hunny perked up immediately. "Let's go to class, Takashi!" he said, climbing up his cousin like a tree.

Mori started to walk away from the girl, but as he turned around, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Is there something wrong, Mori?" Haruhi wondered, confused.

She looked around him and saw Hikaru looking up at Mori. "You…" he whispered, getting an odd look on his face.

"Hikaru? Are you ok?" Haruhi asked, going up to the boy her age.

"No! I'm not ok!" he shouted, throwing a punch at the older boys. "These bastards killed my mother!"

As Hikaru started to fight Mori and Hunny, the student body gathered around, chanting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Haruhi stood by, not sure if she should try to stop it or what she could do.

She noticed a tall man with square glasses walk up to the group of kids calmly. She knew from his face that he was the new school guidance counselor.

"Mr. Hitachiin," he called. The boy turned around to see the school counselor looking at him over his glasses. "Perhaps it is time for you to talk about your problems."

"I don't need to talk!" Hikaru screamed at the counselor as he threw a punch at Mori, who dodged the attempt.

"Now, now," the man pushed his glasses up. "That won't do, Mr. Hitachiin."

"Quit calling me that, asshole!" Hikaru suddenly turned on the man. His eyes narrowed when he saw the tall, thin man. "That's my father, not me!"

"Come with me," the man told him, grabbing Hikaru's arm.

As soon as they got into his office, Hikaru screeched, "I need to kill those guys to get back at them for killing my mom!"

"Hikaru, killing won't bring her back," the counselor told him softly, sitting down in a chair. "And didn't your mother commit suicide because your brother and father died in that unfortunate car accident? Sit."

"Were you there?!" Hikaru demanded, still standing. "I don't think so! I saw them put a gun to my mother's temple and pull the trigger! Don't you _dare_ try to convince me otherwise! They killed her and made it convincing enough to trick the best police. I saw my mother die before my very eyes, and –" he choked on his tears.

"Good, we're getting somewhere. However, your memory has tricked you. Weren't you with your little sister when your mother killed herself? Tea?"

"She did _not_ kill herself! She was killed in cold blood! And how can you think of tea at a moment like this?!"

"I asked you a question," the man said, putting a tea cup in front of Hikaru anyway.

"Yes, we were in the room with her!"

"Then why didn't you stop her?"

"I couldn't stop my mother's killers because I had to get my baby sister out of there because they were going to kill her after they killed Mom! And I did my best to get her away from them, dammit!"

"Who are you talking about, Hikaru?"

"To hell with this!" the redhead yelled, slamming his fist down on the table and barely stopping himself from lunging at the man in fury. "If this is supposed to make me feel better, you're doing the worst job I've ever seen. I know what I saw, and I _know_ who killed her. And I want their blood to pay for what they did to her."

"Hikaru, that's not healthy. You should never want to hurt others, even if you think they killed your mother."

"Have you not been listening to me, you quack?!" Hikaru demanded. "I know they killed her, and I don't care what you say. Nothing will make me feel better than avenging her death. And there's nothing you can do to stop me, and this is a waste of time." The boy made his way over to the door.

"Oh, really, Hitachiin scum?" the man said. Hikaru heard the cock of a gun as he reached for the doorknob. "You touch that door and your head will be blown off your shoulders."

…

Haruhi looked up from her homework at the clock. It had been nearly three hours since Hikaru disappeared with the counselor. She was worried about him.

"Haruhi, are you ok?" Tamaki asked, genuine concern in his eyes.

"I'm just worried about Hikaru," she told her friend. "Had you ever seen that counselor before?"

"Come to think of it, his face wasn't really that familiar, but it seems like the school hired a lot of new people this year…" Tamaki stroked his chin.

"I'm sure it's nothing, but there was something about him that made me uneasy."

"Hey, I'm sure it'll be ok, Haruhi," the blond smiled faintly. "Hikaru seems like a strong kid. He's probably gone through worse than this."

"Tamaki, he's lost both his parents and his twin brother. Can you even begin to imagine the pain he's feeling right now?"

The Frenchman paused for a moment, a sad look in his eyes. "No, I guess not…"

"I didn't think so," Haruhi nodded.

After a few more minutes of working on her homework, the girl heard the bell ring, ending class and beginning lunch.

She took her boxed lunch and made her way over to a bench next to the rose maze. Tamaki and Kyoya joined her.

"Guys, I'm worried about Hikaru," Haruhi said, looking down. "He's been with the counselor for, like, three hours!"

"Haruhi, it's good for a person to talk about their losses. He probably had a lot of emotions he needed to get out," Kyoya said, putting some food in his mouth.

"Well, yeah, but did you see the way he reacted when he saw Hunny and Mori?"

"Yeah, that was weird…" Tamaki agreed.

"I wonder what it was all about…" Haruhi thought out loud.

"Well, why don't you ask them?" Kyoya asked, jerking his chin behind her.

The two other students turned around to see the older boys walking toward them. Hunny held a cake box, smiling as he skipped and Mori just silently followed him.

Haruhi smiled faintly, not really wanting to confront the older boys. "How about you ask them, Tamaki?"

"No way!" he said, taking a bite of Haruhi's sandwich.

"Hey, that's mine, jerk!" she snatched her sandwich back.

"Haru-chan!" Hunny sang happily as he danced up to his younger friends. "I made cake especially for you! I know strawberry's your favorite, so that's what I made!"

"Thanks, Hunny," Haruhi said, taking the cake box from him. "Um…Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Haru-chan!" he said, jumping onto the bench next to her and kicking his feet back and forth under the bench. "What's up?"

"Well, um…Do you know Hikaru?" she wondered awkwardly.

Hunny's feet stopped swinging for a split second, but Haruhi didn't notice. "Who?" the boy wondered, looking up at Haruhi sweetly.

"Never mind," Haruhi shrugged. "I just thought that because he attacked you and Mori earlier that you knew him."

"Oh, that boy? I'd never seen him before," the blond told her. "Have you, Takashi?"

Mori shook his head, grunting.

"I guess he must've thought that you were someone else, then," Tamaki cut in.

"That must be it!" Haruhi chuckled awkwardly.

"Well, we've got to go eat lunch, so we'll see you later, Haru-chan and Tama-chan!" Hunny exclaimed, jumping up onto Mori's shoulders.

They went back to the school's cafeteria to eat their lunches.

As the three friends ate their lunch in silence, Haruhi suddenly spoke up. "Guys, there was something wrong with the school counselor, I guarantee it. I mean, do you know who he is, Kyoya?"

"Of course," the boy replied calmly. "He works with the patients in the psychiatric ward of one of our hospitals. He's very good at what he does, and most of the patients are out of the ward within a week or two, no matter what their situation."

"Wow. How does that work?" Tamaki asked.

"The man works miracles with his patients."

"I'm still worried about Hikaru," Haruhi said, looking down at her uneaten lunch. "I mean, how long does he have to stay in there?!"

"It just depends on the amount of troubles he has."

Just then, they saw Hikaru walking across the courtyard, limping slightly.

"Hikaru!" Haruhi called happily, her food falling off her lap as she jumped up to go and meet him.

The red-haired boy walked a little faster as Haruhi neared him.

"Hikaru, wait!" she told him, grabbing his arm.

He quickly pulled it out of her grip but stopped.

"How did it go?" she wondered.

The boy grunted as a response. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" he told her, running toward the main office.

Haruhi blinked as she let the boy run. "What…What could've happened?" she whispered.

…

Agony ripped through Hikaru's leg as he sprinted toward the exit. After his encounter with the rogue counselor, he'd called Arisa and told her he needed to come home _now_. She didn't question it and told him she would be there for him right away.

He saw the family car pull up as he reached the road. He flung open the door and dove in, screaming, "DRIVE!" as he did so.

Arisa did and they sped off the school grounds, leaving a cloud of exhaust in their wake.

Hikaru looked out the back window and sighed in relief.

"Hikaru, are you doing ok?" the woman wondered.

"I'll be fine," the boy replied. "Don't worry about it. I just have to get home as soon as possible."

He could feel blood dripping down his leg and then the pain from the wound suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. He slightly gasped and bent down to look at it.

The bullet had barely missed embedding itself into his muscle, grazing the inside of his calf. He held his leg, hoping to stop the bleeding, although it pretty much had already stopped.

"Hikaru, do you want me to go and pick up some medicine or something for you?" Arisa asked, pulling up to the house.

"Sure, Arisa," the boy nodded. "Um…Do you remember my favorite soup?"

"Of course. We ran out yesterday, didn't we? Well, I'll go get some for you from the store. Ageha's taking her nap, but are you sure you'll be ok by yourself?" Arisa wondered, concern in her eyes.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Hikaru answered, getting out of the car. Arisa drove away when she saw him get into the house.

When inside, he took a good look at his leg. It really wasn't that bad of an injury, just a little scratch, really, but it hurt like hell!

He limped to his little sister's room to make sure that she was still asleep. When he saw her form on the bed, breathing deeply, he smiled. After, he went to his room to grab a pair of pajama bottoms, underwear, and a package of bandages.

He got to the bathroom and sighed. He took his shirt off to take a shower and winced when the cool air whooshed past his right arm. He gazed down at the bandage stained with blood again and braced himself. He cursed under his breath as he tore the gauze away from his older wound.

Flinching, he threw the bandage in the trash and turned the water on with his left hand. His arm was healing, he was sure, but he needed to keep it clean. He wasn't about to go to a doctor and get stitches just for a little cut like this.

He finished stripping and climbed into the shower. When the warm water hit his gashes on his arm and leg, hot pain seared through his whole body, making him almost cry out. He bit his lip as he scrubbed his arm, whimpering as he did so. He had to make sure that no dirt or anything got in it, as it was still new and could very easily get infected. He performed the same treatment on his leg, hoping Arisa wasn't home from the store yet, as he had forgotten to grab a shirt. He really didn't want to explain to her what the gash on his arm was from.

As soon as he finished his shower, he got out the pack of bandages and wrapped one around his arm and another around his leg. He opened the door and turned to go to his room.

"Hika?" he heard Ageha's voice come from behind him. "What's wrong with your arm?"

He stopped in his tracks and turned around. She was looking up at him with sleepy curiosity.

He sighed in defeat. "Nothing's wrong with it, sweetie," he told her, bending down to her height. "It's just a fashion statement I'm making. Wrapping bandages around one's arm is all the rage these days."

The little girl put one hand on her hip and the other pointed accusingly at her brother. "Don't you lie to me, Hika! You hit that arm on the wall yesterday morning and screamed –"

"Yes, I know," Hikaru cut her off before she could say the explicative word he'd yelled. "But that was just a little joke."

"Oh, really?" she narrowed her eyes.

Before Hikaru could react, she smacked his arm right where the bandage was. He gasped and grabbed it. "What the hell was that for?!" he demanded, glaring at her.

"I knew it," she said smugly. "You're hurt, aren't you?"

"Yes, but it's nothing bad, got it?"

"Then why –?"

"Look, little sister, don't worry about it, ok?" Hikaru sighed. "I'm tired, so I'm going to go to bed. And you should go back to your nap, too." He got up and started to walk to his room. "And one more thing, Ageha. Don't tell Arisa and Fumio, ok? I don't want them to worry about me." He looked back at her. "Pinkie promise you won't tell them?"

"Pinkie promise!" the little girl giggled.

Her older brother smiled and went into his room.

Ageha's happy look was replaced by one of concern. _'He doesn't think I understand anything,' _she thought bitterly. _'But I know better. I know where he got that cut from. It's been three weeks, Hikaru! You need to go see a doctor, and Arisa and Fumio are going to make that happen!'_

* * *

A/N: Ok, what does everybody think? I've noticed that the chapters seem to be growing... Anyway, what do you think about the characters? Anything I need to work on? REVIEW!


	4. VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!

A/N - Ok, I absolutely HATE myself for doing this to you guys, because I hate it when authors post a note and then you get that email that's like, "So-and-so has posted a new chapter." And then you get all excited because it's a new chappie and then it just turns out to be an author's note. I AM SO VERY SORRY! DX

But, seriously, this is REALLY important. I was stupid and dove headfirst into this story without really thinking. I thought I had the plot all figured out and everything, but it was not so. There are a lot of holes and things that, as I read back through it, was like, "WTH?! What has that got to do with ANYTHING?! And how DARE I forget Hunny to say goodbye to Kyoya in the chapter three lunch scene!" (I felt so bad about that! Poor Kyo-chan!)

So, I hate to do this, but I have a question. Would you, as readers, like me to figure out the entire plot (which could take a LONG time, as there are some MAJOR holes and I can't really think about it at work)? Or, the more preferable option, would you like me to rewrite it? I'm confident enough in my writing abilities that I think I could recover the story by this point, but it would take me quite a while. However, if I rewrote it, I could come up with a better…Not really a better plot because it would basically be the same thing, but…better. It would overall just be better. Both could take a long time, though.

Because, in all honesty, I kinda wrote chapter one on a whim and then posted it to see what people would think of it. It was relatively well received so I was like, "What the heck, let's keep going with this!" and none of the chapters were really well thought out or edited at all… I am ashamed. DX

So, which choice is it?

A) Figure out the holes in the plotline, which I have no guarantee that it will be updated soon if that is the case.

B) Rewrite it to make it better (which, again, could take a long time.)

Just leave me a review or shoot me a PM saying which you prefer. Just keep in mind, both will take a while. And, again, I am SO SORRY for doing this to you guys because I know how much I hate it when authors do this!

To semi-make it up, though, I will work on both until I get a head count for both choices. I will accept…opinions, I guess? VOTES! That's the word. I will accept votes until the end of July, and that's my goal for getting chapter four up. It may or may not be the last chapter of this story, decided by you readers.

Until then-ish, Fading Hero out!


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